


Dadrien

by Oakland_Farm



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien is a dad, F/M, Tags May Change, Teenage Pregnancy, reference to sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2020-02-28 21:28:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18764593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oakland_Farm/pseuds/Oakland_Farm
Summary: Adrien always wanted to be a dad. A dad. Or Papa. He would insist on not being called “Father.” And while he knew he wanted to be a dad for some time, he didn’t expect it to happen at this point in his life. He pictured having a wife, an apartment (hopefully a house), a job, or at least be out of school.So the timing wasn’t perfect, but he couldn’t stop his happiness from creeping into every pore. It may not have happened as expected, but there was no way he was refusing this. This was his child on the way, and he would be the greatest dad he could be, never mind being only 16.





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really like reading stories on here about Adrien as a dad, so I wanted to try one with a slight twist on how he becomes one. This first chapter is a brief setup and I expect longer chapters to follow.

This couldn’t go public, not yet. He already got too much attention from the media and fans, he didn’t want to bring her into this mess until he had to. And if he could help it, the mother of his child would be able to keep out of the spotlight as well. But he needed to tell someone, he hated secrets and being Chat overfilled his secrets tank. So he decided to tell Nino.

Nino was the only person he told about trying to get over a colleague. A girl he fell for immediately after meeting her 2 years earlier. And while Nino urged Adrien to really try dating and give someone a chance, Adrien took a different path. He became receptive to girls that flirted with him at photoshoots, both models and staff. And he got together with Aurore from school. But he didn’t date them, not in a traditional sense. He just wanted to have fun and be casual, even a bit irresponsible. Well that certainly came back to bite him.

He had slept with a few girls before he got the news. He was upfront with all of them, and they all agreed to keep things simple. Even just a few months earlier, he never would have imagined being a ‘playboy’ and sleeping around. He thought he would date Ladybug and they would marry. After another rejection from Ladybug however, he had a photoshoot with a model named Sophie and she noticed his sad demeanor and tried cheering him up with jokes and light touches. It was nice to get the attention, and she obviously cared for him. When they left the shoot together and ended up back at her family’s apartment, he still didn’t expect for things to become physical. But he enjoyed it. And he enjoyed the next few times as well. 

Afterwards, he told her he wasn’t looking to date at that time and needed to figure things out. She was surprisingly understanding and had no hard feelings and was still interested in being casual, so they continued. The same conversation happened with Aurore after running into her at a cafe near the school were they had coffee together and then went for a walk. He enjoyed her company and asked her directly if she wanted to continue their time together. She agreed to keep it quiet and he had a sort of epiphany that he could keep his mind off Ladybug, enjoy himself, and make girls happy. He didn’t deny that this was partly an ego boost mixed with having fun, but he convinced himself that as long as he was honest with them, then the girls could make their own decisions. 

It was the next girl that would change his life forever.


	2. 2

When Adrien started spending time with girls, he said nothing to Ladybug. She had been clear that she didn’t want to know anything about his life, so he kept it to himself. He didn’t tell her he was working on getting over her, he simply eased off the flirting and nick names gradually until he just called her LB or Bug. She also said nothing about it, but seemed pleased with his focus on akumas rather than puns and flirting. He also kept quiet on patrols, with her not asking about it as he expected.

She was pleased, and figured he finally got the hint. While she did miss his playfulness at times, she was not going to inquire about it. They were winning the fights, and he stopped asking about identities or secrets. So she took it as a positive development.

_______________

Both Sophie and Aurore knew they weren’t in exclusive relationships with Adrien and told him they were ok with that. Whether that was true or not, Adrien did not now. But he took their them at their word. He didn’t expect or ask them for exclusivity either. Yes, he liked spending time with them and had considered bringing up the idea of dating, but he kept returning to the idea of leaving his heart uncommitted for the time being. 

Outside of school, Adrien’s primary avenue for meeting new people was his job. At a primarily solo photoshoot, there was a model they had in a handful of photos. It was designed to show Adrien as someone alone and sad who had met a beautiful and charming girl and immediately fallen in love with her. The model’s name was Louise, and she was funny and lovely. Adrien took a liking to her quickly and asked her to coffee afterwards. After a second coffee date (were they dating, Adrien wasn’t sure), he asked her if she wanted to come over to his house that weekend since his father and Natalie were traveling. She agreed and they talked, watched movies and generally had a good time together. He asked her if she had interest in being physical and she responded that she did. He once again was upfront and honest that he liked her but wasn’t sure he was ready for a girlfriend, and that if she changed her mind, he would gladly accept. She liked him too and figured they could have fun and enjoy each other’s company and maybe it would turn into something. Thus started what most people would consider a relationship, but that they both pretended was not.

Louise was also 16 and from Paris. She was fine with keeping their ‘thing’ quiet and Adrien once again only told Nino. Nino was happy for him since it seemed like Adrien was happier and really liked Louise. 

After 2 months of spending time together, Louise gave him news he did not expect to hear for some time.

“Adrien . . .”

“Yes.” He noticed her scrunched brow, and nervousness, and asked caringly, “What is it Louise?”

It took her a few seconds and a deep breath before she replied while looking downwards, “I’m . . . ., I’m pregnant.”

Adrien heard nothing else, not the birds chirping in the trees above the park bench they sat on, not the cars honking on the street, nothing. His look of questioning soon became joy, which Louise noticed. They had used protection except for a few times they were impulsive, so neither of them could really be surprised.

He was going to be a dad. A dad! His excitement overpowered him, allowing no room for thoughts on the consequences. What would his father do? How could he be a dad? What about school, for both of them? How would her family take it? So many questions for later.

He reached out and held her hands, lightly squeezing them. “This . . ., this is the best news I’ve ever heard. I’m not going anywhere, I’m with you on this.”

Louise shook her head and cried. She knew Adrien was a sweetheart and wouldn’t desert her, but this wasn’t something she wanted. “Adrien. I don’t know what to do. I can’t have a baby now.” Her fears were coming out like a waterfall. “I’m only 16! What about my life, school, my job, everything! I’m not ready to be a mom!” If she hadn’t been sitting she would have been pacing. “And you! you can’t be a dad now!”

“We can figure this out, whatever it takes. I’ve always wanted to be a dad. Yes, I thought it would happen later, but I’m not turning my back on this.”

Louise wasn’t convinced, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to carry the baby to term. She knew Adrien would understand no matter her decision, he was so understanding and patient.

“What if I don’t want this baby?”

Adrien knew that this was her body and her choice ultimately. No matter how much he wanted to be a dad, he couldn’t impose his wishes on Louise. “If you decide to end it, I’ll support that decision. But if you keep it, I’m gonna be the best dad I can be.”

____________

When Louise told her parents, they were shocked and asked her what she wanted to do. She was scared, and when her mother suggested giving it up for adoption, Louise latched on to the idea. She researched it and discovered how many couples wanted children but couldn’t have them. Then, when she told Adrien about that and how there were great parents out there that couldn’t have babies of their own, he solemnly agreed. He couldn’t hide his disappointment, but had nothing better to suggest at the time. 

It was Nino that brought up the idea of Adrien being the father without Louise if she did not want to be a mom. It was genius! Adrien had money, he could afford help, and Nino joked that he could be Uncle Nino. 

Plagg raised reality however. “And pray tell, how do you expect to go to school, model, and be a dad?”

“I’ve looked into it. I’ll put the baby in a creche, use a nanny, study whenever I can . . ..”

“You’re sure about this?”

“Yes, I’ll get my plan together and tell Louise. I can do this. I have enough money to stop modeling for a while anyway.”

“What about your father?”

Damn, Plagg really had to ruin Adrien’s mood. Adrien knew his father would do whatever he could to stop this, even trying to pay Louise off to go away. So he decided not to tell his father until his baby was born. Yes, it was playing with danger, but he also didn’t want to raise a child in that loveless house.

“And being Chat Noir? Gonna do that with the kid on your back?”

Damn again. He loved being Chat, and eagerly threw himself into danger. No longer solely for Ladybug, but for Paris. Until this point he didn’t have much to lose. But now, if he was going to be a dad, he had to stay around. “Have you had Chats with kids before?”

Through a bit of cheese Plagg replied. “Of course. It can be done. You won’t be as available, but you’re a fantastic kitten and I have you trained so I’m not letting you go. Fu won’t take the ring, and the bug has the others she can call on.”

Adrien released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Good, for once things were falling into place. When the time came and he couldn’t be as available, he’d give Ladybug some story. He was convinced she didn’t really care anyway, just that he showed up to take hits and give her time for her lucky charm.

A few days later Adrien presented his plan to Louise. He would move out, hire a nanny, and enroll their child in daycare. He thankfully had the financial part handled, which made him seriously sympathetic to all the young and single parents in the world that were not as fortunate. Louise was initially resistant, but eventually agreed after Adrien promised she would always be their child’s mother and would be a part of their life whenever Louise was ready. Louise tried seeing faults in his plan, but he was so eager, so excited, and she knew he could pull it off. The baby would be with their father and Adrien would do anything for their child. They wouldn’t be a couple and this gave Louise time to live her life and decide later if she wanted to be involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, it's not Marinette. I don't think she has a healthy view of Adrien at the moment (as Chat did not have for Ladybug). They will grow closer and she will have to see Adrien as a person, and not some infallible trophy.


	3. 3

Adrien had decreased his time with Sophie and Aurore after the first few weeks with Louise. He chatted with them, but kept it non-physical. He figured he would take a step back and not have anything with Sophie or Aurore, or anyone else for that matter. He needed to think about how his life was changing, and what his future held. He and Louise wouldn’t be together. Over a handful of conversations after finding out the news they agreed that Adrien would come to all the appointments and be there at the birth. Only her parents would know who the father was, and only Nino so far on Adrien’s side knew anything. He was a great support to Adrien, and even went to the bookstore with him to look for parenting and baby books. Nino did struggle to keep it from Alya, but she didn’t ask too much about his time with Adrien after Nino said they just played around with music and chatted mostly. And whenever Alya asked if Adrien mentioned girls, Nino would brush it off and say Adrien spoke fondly of several girls, but not in a romantic way.

___________

Ladybug never asked about Chat’s change in behavior. Conversations during patrols were very limited and never went far past greetings. They had definitely grown apart, and while Ladybug was happy with Chat’s professionalism, she did admit that they were no longer close and that perhaps they wouldn’t be again. Chat still took hits for her and sacrificed himself, but whenever she asked if he was alright, he politely brushed her off. He never asked her to talk or spend time together, and showed no interest in games during patrol. He was quiet and focused, on what she didn’t know.

____________

A month after coming to agreement with Louise, Adrien connected with Sophie again. He did tell her that his life was going to change in several months, but that he enjoyed their time together. Being with her was also an avenue to destress and blow off steam. He could forget about the no longer present emotional link with Ladybug, not worry about his father, not fear fatherhood. Sophie was admittedly an escape, but Adrien figured she felt the same.

During the 20 week appointment, Adrien was a bit of a mess. He was nervous and struggled with hiding it from Louise. He held her hand during the entire ultrasound and eagerly listened to the doctor explain the results. They first went over the basics - the fetus appeared healthy, was developing as scheduled and Louise was handling pregnancy well.

The doctor then leaned forward and looked Adrien and Louise in the eye. “Would you like to know the sex?”

Adrien was thinking about having a baby, an amorphous little person. But now, now it hit him that it was a little girl or a little boy! He nodded his head and looked at Louise. She was carrying the child, but was planning on following Adrien’s lead on such matters.

Adrien responded giddly, “Yes!” And then in a quieter voice followed with “Uh, sorry about that. Yes, we want to know.”

The doctor chuckled. “It’s alright, you are allowed to be excited. You are having a girl.”

Fireworks went off in Adrien’s head. A little girl! Images blitzed his mind - a little girl in a cute dress blowing out candles, dropping off a girl with braids to her first day of school, teaching her how to ride a bike, holding her hand and dancing, walking her down the aisle. He wasn’t aware of it, but his grin was wide and high, and tears started dropping from his eyes. He lightly wiped his tears and held his shaking head in his hands. He was having a daughter.

Nino was happy for him, he truly was, and again promised to help Adrien however he could. Uncle Nino was soon to be realized. 

Not much had changed in Adrien’s relationship with Marinette. She didn’t know about the other girls but had mostly defeated her stuttering after more consistent exposure to Adrien. She was still one of his favorite people and he was so happy she seemed more comfortable around him. Whenever he brought it up with Nino (Nino kept asking himself how he became the secret keeper), Nino told him Marinette liked him but was just nervous around him. So Adrien had made it a point to engage her and spend time with her when he could. While Marinette was ever hopeful that his increased attention had other intentions, she was not going to complain. 

At school the day after the appointment, Adrien was in a cloud. He smiled and quietly spoke to himself throughout the morning. Alya and Marinette had no idea why, but it warmed Marinette to see him so happy no matter the reason. She was fully aware of his difficult home life and could recognize his model smile from across the room. Yet today Adrien was full sunshine.

At lunch Marinette brought Adrien’s obvious happiness up with Tikki, who thought it was wonderful as well. Then Tikki suggested she ask him out as he was in such a good mood. Marinette still fought herself on this and claimed to not be ready. She had told Luka she needed time after his confession and was not anywhere close to giving up on Adrien, but she couldn’t get past her anxiety. Tikki made Marinette promise she would ask Nino if he knew why Adrien was happy, and if it was a satisfactory answer, then she would ask Adrien out for coffee or ice cream after school.

When Marinette returned to school, she met up with Alya and Nino on the front steps. Adrien hadn’t come back yet, so Marinette had a moment. “Nino?”

Nino turned his eyes to her, “Yeah dudette.”

“Do you . . . , uh, do you know why Adrien is so happy?”

Nino smirked, “Yes, I do indeed dude.” He was purposefully being obtuse.

Alya hit his arm, “Then spill Lahiffe!”

Nino laughed. “Yeah, yeah. He got some good news is all.”

Alya hit him again. “Yeah, and what is it?” Thinking of her girl, she got specific. “Is it because of a girl, is he dating someone?”

Marinette froze and her stomach tumbled.

Nino shook his head, “No, not that. My bro is completely single, and I bet ready to mingle with the right girl.” These were dangerous waters. He could be setting Marinette up for heartbreak. But he knew Adrien was willing to be serious with the right girl. Nino felt bad about Sophie and Aurore, but Adrien had insisted they both were fully aware of the circumstances. Nino wasn’t so sure about this as Adrien was still oblivious in most social situations, but either way, he would help make this happen. If Marinette could get past the whole baby thing, (like it was some small issue, jeez, what was happening in Nino’s life) then she would be incredible for Adrien and the baby. Adrien would need help, and Marinette was Nino’s top choice for him and his little girl. Plans were forming in his head, he needed to get to Adrien before Marinette did.

During Nino’s internal monologue, Alya smiled encouragingly at Marinette and nodded. “You got this girl.”

 


	4. 4

With a look, Nino got Alya to walk Marinette inside so he could wait for Adrien. Nino only had to wait a minute before Adrien was dropped off and walking up the steps. They didn’t have long, but Nino was confident he could convince Adrien to give Marinette a chance.

A fist bump was followed by “Welcome back bro. There’s something we need to discuss before headed in.”

Adrien looked up, “Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“Marinette”

Adrien scrunched his eyebrows, “Marinette?”

“Yeah dude.”

“Oooooh k, how so?”

Nino casually swung his arm around Adrien’s shoulder, “Well, I obviously know your situation, but I think you should consider actual dating.”

Adrien looked unsure and at Nino like he said something crazy, “Uh bro, who’s gonna want to date a teenaged single dad?”

Nino was confident and was determined to succeed. “That’s the thing. I won’t even touch on how there’d be a line of girls waiting to date you regardless of being a daddy, hell that might even attract more girls . . .” Adrien scoffed but didn’t stop Nino. “I’m sure she’ll be cool with it. She likes you like crazy dude. And I really want you to give her a chance. She’d be soooo good for you and the little dudette.”

Adrien lightly shook his head. “Ya think? She’s gotten better around me, but still . . . ”

Nino held up his hand. “Gonna stop you right there bro before you spiral into your cyclone of self-doubt. Girls like you and not just because you’re famous. Yes, there are plenty that do, but the girls you’ve hooked up with? They all like you as a person and not for what you are and what you can give them. So please, just admit that girls can like you for you. And Marinette? I know she’s never been clear with how she felt about you, but she likes you. She’s actually been a bit obsessed to be honest.” Adrien blinked and was about to ask why before Nino dismissed Adrien’s question before it was asked and continued, “But that’s for another time. She asked why you’re so happy.” Adrien looked surprised, it was that obvious? Nino shook his head and smiled, “No, I didn’t spill the beans, just told her you got some good news. But she’s gonna ask after school. So you better give her a chance.”

Adrien looked down and Nino could tell he was thinking, so he had to keep this positive. “Trust me bro. Give her a chance, but be honest with her and then let her decide. We both know you’re ready for something serious with the right girl and I’m positive she’s it.”

Adrien then looked up again and took a deep breath. Why would Marinette of all people be interested enough in him to want to date him with his baggage. “You really think so?” Nino nodded. “Uh, I guess. But, she could have anybody. I thought there were other boys she was interested in. I’m just me, and with the baby. . . “ Nino gave him a look of pity mixed with parental judgment. “Ok.” Adrien released a breath, “It’ll be public soon enough anyway, so I guess I could tell her? But I’m worried she’ll judge me and not want to be friends.”

“Then that’s her choice, bro. But you gotta give her the chance. And yeah, she can be quick to judge like with the gum, but she’s always good about righting it.”

Adrien nodded. Nino was right, he was ready for the right girl. At least he thought so. But his situation as Nino called it was unusual, a single dad at 16? Maybe Marinette would still be interested, but he did owe her the truth at least.

When class was over, Adrien couldn’t stop bouncing his knee or slow his heart beat. Marinette was going to ask him out at any moment and he didn’t want to screw this up and hurt her. She was a great girl that deserved more than he could give. When he felt her hand on his shoulder he knew it was time and looked up into her bright bluebell eyes.

Marinette was unsure. She was always unsure around this boy. No one else had ever been able to make her so unsteady, so off-kilter with just a look. But she had promised, and she had Nino’s support that Adrien would say yes. So she started simply and quietly, “Adrien?”

They were the only two left in the room, Nino and Alya had communicated silently with the rest of the flower squad and they all made sure no one straggled behind. Alix even distracted Chloe with transparently hollow questions about her new bag to keep her walking.

“Yes, Marinette?”

She shuffled her feet and blew her bangs out of her eyes, “Can talk now we? I mean, can now we talk. Ugh!”

Adrien gently touched Marinette’s forearm, shocking her into silence. He had never quite understood why she was so uncomfortable around him, but now knowing the true reason, he wanted to be extra welcoming and patient with her. “Would you like to go to the park and talk?”

Marinette just nodded as he grabbed his bag and guided her out of the room with his hand on her lower back. She immediately blushed and he pulled away yelling at himself that he shouldn’t be so forward.

When they arrived at the park they found an empty bench and Adrien held his arm out to ask her if she wanted to sit down. She did, but didn’t look at him, keeping her focus on the ground.

“What did you want to talk about?” He kept his voice calm and steady, fighting the desire to just tell her he knew what she wanted to ask.

Marinette squeezed her hands together, “I . . .I . . “

He reached out and covered her hands with his own, trying to make her more comfortable. His touch normally sent shockwaves through her body but she found this soothing. “It’s alright Marinette, take your time.”

She dared look at his face and wondered how he could be so patient with her. He was wonderful. “Wouldyouliketogeticecreamorcoffeewithme?”

Adrien lightly laughed, “I only got some of that. But I’ll try to puzzle it out.” He finished with a wink which was answered with an extreme blush. “Marinette, did you just ask me out?”

How could she get through this? She had no control over her voice with the way he was looking into her eyes. She nodded.

He reached out for her hands again and smiled a real smile. “I would love to. But I’d like to tell you a story before we go any further.”


	5. 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments and kudos. I really appreciate you all taking the time to read my work. There are a couple curse words in this chapter.

Marinette looked fearful. Adrien hadn’t rejected her, not at all actually. He seemed enthusiastic, which honestly made her nervous, but his enthusiasm was tempered by a bit of reluctance. She nodded again and he let go of her hands to lightly twist his own in his lap. She missed his warmth and crossed her arms before remembering Alya’s coaching on body language and presenting an open self, and placed her hands on her knees.

Adrien looked down at his feet and looked upwards while releasing a deep breath. “Nino is the only other person that knows this. It will all be public in the near future, but please try to keep this quiet. Though I won’t be upset when you tell Alya” He smirked at this - a smirk on Adrien?

Marinette shook her head, this wasn’t the time to think about how Adrien smirking made her feel, he was about to tell her something big, potentially something bad. But before she could spiral into catastrophe, he continued.

“It’s not bad. Well . . . , not really, I’m not dying or anything.” He gave a hollow laugh.

Marinette kept a neutral expression, was it good news, was it bad news? Not, not bad news?

“I’ll give you the bullet points, and go ahead and ask whatever questions you want. I’ll answer anything you ask honestly.”

Marinette nodded, not knowing where this was going. “Uh, ok.”

“Several months ago I met someone.”

Marinette cringed, Adrien noticed.

“No, no, not like that.” He waved his arms back and forth. “I’m not dating anybody, I’m not in love with anyone.” At least not really anymore, his flame for Ladybug was still there, but he no longer pictured a future with her.

Marinette slighty relaxed but was still very anxious. She had expected a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’ Not this.

Adrien tried to pick his story back up. “In what could be called a misguided attempt to try something new, that’s what Nino called it, I hooked up with a girl (or 3) and well .  ., uh . . . . . .she’s pregnant.” He had trailed off at the end and whispered those last words.

Marinette still heard them. She felt nauseous. Adrien was having a baby. With someone else. She was supposed to be having his baby, but years later, after they were married. This. This was something out of a nightmare. She couldn’t stop the tears. She was so confused, he was having a baby, but was single and interested?

Adrien watched Marinette’s face contort and move from shock, to fear, to sadness, disappointment, and finally confusion. He quickly grabbed her hands as she resisted enough to show her discomfort but didn’t pull away. “I know this is crazy, but please let me explain. If you want nothing to do with me, then I’ll accept that. But Marinette, you’re one of my favorite people, and if you still are interested after knowing everything, I promise I would give you my all.” 

Marinette refused to look into his eyes, still trying to figure out her feelings and desires.

“Her name is Louise. We aren’t dating, and we’re not going to be dating. She’s about halfway through the pregnancy. I’m going to have full custody of our daughter since Louise does not want to be a mom at this point in her life. She was going to give the baby up for adoption, but I’ve always wanted to be a dad.” He smiled and looked at the horizon. “I’m scared. I’m more than scared, I’m fucking terrified.” Marinette’s eyes widened as she’d never heard Adrien curse before. “But this is my child, and I’m not running away from it.” He looked at her again, trying to catch her eye. “Look, my life is going to be crazy in a few months. I completely understand if you want to run for the hills, I’m not exactly dating material at the moment. And like I said, I will accept whatever you decide. I like you Marinette, and I’d love the opportunity to date you, but this wouldn’t be normal dating . . . . “

Marinette’s mind was whirring. “Can I, can I think about it?”

Adrien’s smile made her heart jump. He responded quickly and eagerly like a puppy. “Of course, however long you need. Do you have any questions? You can ask me anything. I didn’t intend for any of this to happen, but I’m not sad about it. My life is about to change forever. I’ll no longer be allowed to be a kid myself. I can only imagine what my father will do when he finds out. And, and . . . I just want to make sure I’m honest with you.”

“I appreciate that.” She kept her eyes down. “Why aren’t you dating her?” The time for stuttering was long past, she was partly numb.

“We never intended to date. This is going to sound crude, but it was pretty casual, and with her not wanting to be a mom right now, we thought it’d be best if we’re not together.”

“I see.” Marinette was trying to work out the puzzle, this time without a lucky charm. “I’m really surprised, I never would have expected this from you of all people.”

Adrien released tension through a laugh. “No, I suppose you wouldn’t. I was trying to figure some things out about my life and my heart. I don’t think I was ready for a relationship then, I just wanted to explore and try to get my mind off things. I know that sounds callous, but I was upfront with them.”

“Them?!”

“Oh, oh . . . _shit_.” Marinette slid back a few inches on the bench, but Adrien saw her move to the other side of the park. “Yeah, them.”

“There are other pregnant girls out there?!”

“What! No!, no other pregnant girls.” Marinette still looked angry, her eyes fierce and targeted at Adrien.

“I never thought you would be a player Adrien.”

“A player?! No, no, no.” He frowned. “Yes, I hooked up with a few girls, but I wasn’t in love with any of them and they weren’t in love with me. We agreed to be casual. They all told me they were fine with that.”

Marinette turned her head away. “Are you sure about that?”

“That’s what they told me.” Nino had asked the same questions. So maybe Adrien didn’t really understand their feelings, but he didn’t intentionally hurt them. “I’m sorry Marinette, I really am. I didn’t know you liked me, and I wasn’t looking to date. I was trying to get over a crush and the first girl initiated everything and I just went along. After that, well, I guess I was open to other opportunities. But that’s all over. Nino’s right. He told me to stop and to be open to dating, and that’s what I’m trying to do.” Adrien figured it didn’t matter anymore, Marinette was going to walk away and never speak to him again, so he let it all out. “I’m not proud or ashamed of my behavior. I don’t consider it a mistake either. I don’t expect you to still be interested, but nothing will stop me from being a dad or being the happiest I’ve ever been because of that. I never thought I’d get a family. My current one barely counts, but now, now I’m going to be a father. And while I’d prefer there be a partner, I’m still doing this. So no, none of this can be labelled a mistake if it got me her.”

Marinette’s emotions continued to dip and roll as though they were a cork in the ocean, but she’d never seen Adrien like this. So steadfast and determined. Yes, she was hurt and he had changed. However, he had a confidence that suited him, like he had gotten the best news of his life and nothing would bring him down. “I . . . , I’m going to go. I promise I’ll think about things, but this obviously is not what I was expecting. Nothing like this.”

Adrien’s face dropped, and Marinette’s old promise to herself to never make Adrien sad rushed to the forefront of her thoughts. She immediately changed her tone. “This isn’t a no, Adrien. It’s just that this is a lot to take in. I’ll try not to keep you waiting long.” He nodded and watched her leave. Once she was gone, Adrien took out his phone and called Nino.


	6. 6

“Bro.”

“Hey bro, how’d it go.”

“Uh, don’t plan on any double dates soon, at least not with Marinette.”

“Oh, so not good then.”

Adrien looked downwards and hunched his shoulders. “She was shocked, but didn’t completely say no. Which is a weird thing to say considering she was going to ask me out.” Adrien couldn’t help laughing at the situation.

“Just give her some time. She cares about you, she really does.”

“I don’t doubt that, but if she only wants to be friends, then that’s ok too. I told her the truth and I’m not ashamed of it bro. I’m going to be a dad, and nothing can take that away from me. So whether Marinette or another girl doesn’t like what I’ve done in the end doesn’t really matter. I mean, yeah, she’s a great girl and I’d love to date her, but shit, let’s be honest. What girl our age will want to date me once they find out about the baby?”

“Bro, you’re not really asking that are you?”

“No Nino, I’m not looking for a fangirl. If I date someone, I want her to be interested in me, not the fame, you know that.”

“I do bro, I do.”

________________

Marinette made it back to the bakery with no memory of how she got there. Sabine noticed the look on Marinette’s face from the counter and immediately went to her. She wrapped her arm around her daughter’s shoulders and guided her upstairs to their living room.

“What is it dear, did he say no?”

Marinette hadn’t even acknowledged her mother’s presence until Sabine spoke. She blinked, and then turned her watery eyes towards her mother.

“Oh honey, what is it?”

Marinette choked back a sob.

“I know it hurts baby, heartbreak is a horrible thing to go through.”

Marinette shook her head. “No, that’s not it. It’s, it’s . . ., it’s just that I don’t know him at all.”

Sabine’s concern had not lessened at all. Whatever happened at the park greatly affected Marinette.

“All the photos, all the thinking he was perfect. . . .I didn’t know anything.”

Sabine cradled Marinette’s hands. “Of course you know him. Tell me what happened dear.”

“He’s having a baby!”

Sabine was ready for hearing about a rejection, or even better a yes, but not this. This was no where close to what she would have expected.

“A baby?”

“Yeah, a baby. Apparently he’s been hooking up with girls and got one of them pregnant. And he was happy about it, really happy. Said he couldn’t wait to be a father.”

“Oh honey, I’m sorry. That’s a lot to think about.”

“What’s messed up is he said yes. He likes me, but wanted to be honest with me. I don’t know what to feel or do. I dreamed about having kids with him some day. I know it was foolish and we’re young, but what do I do now?”

Sabine paused before responding. “Well, you have a few options. We can go over them now or later if you want. But I have to admit that knowing this makes me a bit nervous.”

“What do you mean?”

Sabine rubbed the outside of Marinette’s hands as she looked over her shoulder. “What I mean is that Adrien has been sexually active with several girls now, so it makes me think that he would expect the same if you two were dating, and I don’t want you pressured in that way.”

Marinette frowned. “Maman,” she responded surprisingly calmly, “thank you, but I don’t think he’d be like that. I want to think that, I want to be angry, but what I feel most is an odd sense of failure. Like my whole vision of him was nothing but lies.”

“Honey, I’m sorry that it hasn’t worked out as you wanted. But one, Adrien is not the source of your happiness. You are a strong, independent, intelligent girl. Your happiness comes from you. Second, you don’t have to decide today. You should take some time and really think about this. It sounds like you could date if you wanted to, but maybe it’s better that your dreams were slightly shattered now.”

Marinette started lightly heaving.

“I don’t mean to say that cruelly dear. It’s just that you had this whole future planned like a fairy tale, and you can take this as a lesson. You can still be with him if you want, you can help him with his baby if you want, you can just be a friend if you want. It’s entirely up to you. No one can decide what you do next except you. Whether you want to be with him or not, I will support your decision. But if you do decide to try, it’ll be difficult. You won’t just be dating him, but spending time with his baby. And what if you get attached? Are you ready for that kind of responsibility? On the other hand, if you date and fall in love, you could still have a future with him.”

Marinette leaned forward and hugged her mother tightly.

When Marinette made it up to her room, she stopped fighting the tears. Tikki hovered around her and brought her tissues while patting Marinette’s cheeks.

“I understand it’s a shock, but you weren’t close enough to him to know what was happening. Only Nino knew.”

“That doesn’t make it any easier. I didn’t know him at all.”

Tikki didn’t want Marinette giving up on Adrien, she knew Marinette cared for him too much. “Yes, but he’s still the kind and gentle boy you fell for. He may not be the perfect boy you thought he was, but was that really healthy? Marinette, you stole his phone, followed him, have his schedule, and behaved poorly at the movie premier. All because you thought he was perfect and you two were destined for each other. You let jealousy cloud your judgment. That isn’t far off from what Chloe thinks is it? She also thinks Adrien belongs to her. But he’s a person, not an object. He didn’t cheat on you or hurt you knowingly. He wasn’t aware of your feelings and he didn’t owe you an explanation even. He’s a boy, not something to keep on the shelf.”

Marinette shook her head. “Tikki, I know I’ve done some things I’m ashamed of. I seem to lose control when it comes to him.”

“So maybe now you can treat him as a regular person. Somebody that makes mistakes, but someone that is still a good person that could use some support in the near future.”

“All of that doesn’t make it easier to accept. He played around with girls.”

Tikki floated up to look directly into Marinette’s eyes. “You don’t know that. He said he was honest and upfront with them. Plus, when have you seen him that happy as when he was talking about his baby? I understand your fantasy has been derailed, but you can still be with him. You can still have a family with him. He likes you Marinette, and he wants to date you. I’m simply asking you to not just give up on him. Maybe spend some time with him as friends and see if he’s still the boy you fell in love with.”

 


	7. 7

When Adrien arrived at school the next morning he was met by Alya and Nino. Though Nino hadn’t shared the baby news with Alya yet, Adrien felt it was pointless to keep it from her any longer. Especially now with Marinette knowing. 

“You what?!”

Nino pulled Alya away from the steps and around the corner with Adrien following. “Babe, please. This is on the down low for now.”

“The down low?! Hell no, he’s,” her gaze moved to Adrien, “you’re having a baby?”

“Uh, yes?”

“How the hell did that happen?”

Nino was rubbing his hand up and down Alya’s back, “Babe, please. Let him explain it. This is a good thing. I’ve never seen him happier than when he talks about her.”

Alya folded her arms and glowered at Adrien. “I’m waiting.”

How many times was he going to have to tell this story? He needed an abbreviated version. “I was trying to get over a coworker and spent time with some girls. One of them got pregnant. We’re not together and she isn’t ready to be a mom, so I’m taking full custody.” There, simple and to the point.

“And you were going to rope Marinette into this?”

Adrien looked at his shoes and then back up to Alya’s eyes. This baby was giving him courage already. Like he told Marinette, he wasn't embarrassed or sorry. “I like her Alya, I really do. I’m sorry I didn’t notice it sooner, but I didn’t know and she never said anything, even denying it. But that doesn’t matter anymore. I told her everything, and if she isn’t interested, that’s fine. I’ll miss out on being with an amazing girl, but my daughter comes first now. I know I’m only 16 and in no position to be a father, but I’ll do anything for her, and I haven’t even met her yet.”

“So you think my girl is amazing Sunshine?”

Adrien replied without hesitation. “Absolutely, I adore her.”

“Good answer. I’m not going to help you with her though. If she asks, I’ll let her know what I think, but I’m not going to push like I did before. The baby changes things.”

“I understand.”

“I’m not finished blondie. As I was saying, I won’t push her towards you anymore, but I won’t not be your friend either. I know Nino has your back and will be there for you and the baby, but I will be too.”

Adrien hugged her tightly, not fighting a light dose of tears. Alya patted his back, “It’s alright Adrien. We’ll help you get through this. I may not be super ecstatic about it, but I know you’re a good guy and wouldn’t hurt anyone on purpose, especially my girl. And she’ll support you too, I have no doubt, even if it’s just as a friend.”

Nino kissed her and whispered in her ear. “Thank you babe. He’s gonna need us.”

Alya nodded and they made their way to class.

When Marinette slid into class at the bell, she locked eyes with Adrien. He smiled and waved and she gave a small smile in return. Once she took her seat, Alya told her what he she knew and started peppering Marinette with questions. Marinette answered with “lunch.”

 

Marinette and Alya filled each other in with what they knew while Nino remained mostly silent. He knew more than either of them and wanted a chance to speak with Marinette, but decided it would be best to wait until they were alone. Alya and Marinette’s discussion was full of “I can’t believe it” and “A baby!,” at least from the parts Nino paid attention too.

With roughly 10 minutes left of lunch break, Nino asked Alya to give him a few moments with Marinette and Alya obliged.

“Dudette?”

Marinette looked towards him after waving at a departing Alya.

“Can we talk for a bit about my bro?”

Marinette collapsed upon herself and sighed.

“I know it’s been a hell of a not-even 24 hours dudette, but I need to say some things if you’ll listen.”

Marinette nodded.

“I’m not trying to excuse my bro’s behavior, not that it needs to be excused, but I just want to explain things.” Marinette looked at Nino and gave him a look to continue. “Adrien thought he was in love with a coworker, but she rejected him multiple times. I don’t think he was actually in love though. You don’t know as well as I do, but he’s desperate for affection. He gets none from that jerkwad of a father, so he’s always looking for some. What I think happened was this girl gave him some and he saw hearts in his eyes. After she rejected him again, he finally recognized that he was infatuated and not in love.” Nino put his hands in his pockets. “Remember, I know how you’ve felt about him and I’m not trying to hurt you, just tell you what happened.”

“I know Nino. I just, . . . I just guess I didn’t really know him at all.” Marinette shook her head and had a glum look on her face.

Nino nodded. “He met the first girl at a photoshoot soon after getting rejected for the last time and she gave him attention and he just followed along. I think he didn’t really realize what was happening. Then after a bit, he thought ‘What the hell?’ and connected with another girl. He kept telling me that he was honest with them and wasn’t interested in dating, and that they all agreed. Adrien takes people at their word, so I’m sure he didn’t understand these girls’ true feelings. He never meant to hurt them, and whenever I brought it up, he kept going back to how it was all upfront. And then he gets the baby news. Nothing about it is ideal, but I’ve never seen him glow like when he talks about it. He’s scared, really scared, but so excited. The times he’s been worried about being like his father I’ve almost punched him.” Marinette laughed. “There is no way, no way, he will be like Gabriel. Adrien will be a great dad and that’s what I keep telling him.”

Marinette agreed, but felt emptiness when she pictured her fantasy of her being the mother.

“He has so much love to give, and with or without the baby, he’s ready to share that love. He adores you, he always has. And he knew he couldn’t do something casual with you, plus he wasn’t sure how you felt about him.”

Marinette frowned. “I couldn’t tell him.”

“And that’s what he needs. But it doesn’t matter anymore. He’s ready to have a real relationship and I think you would be great together. I’m not trying to push you to agree, just that he’s doing the best he can. You say you don’t really know him, and that’s because he didn’t let you. He does everything he can to be the Adrien his father wants in public. If you spent more time with him you’d see it. And he’s a good person Nette.” Nino paused. “Like I said, I won’t try to push, I just wanted you to have the full picture. If you don’t want to date him, you’ll both be fine. You can still be his friend and help him with his daughter, or you can pull away, it’s your choice. But please don’t punish him.”

Marinette could no longer fight the tears. She reached out and hugged Nino. “I’m glad he has you Nino. I won’t desert him. I know he’s amazing, but I need time to figure out how I feel.”


	8. 8

A week had passed. Adrien and Marinette hadn’t spent much time together alone, but Marinette wanted to take her time and Adrien never brought up the subject of dating. They were friends without pressure. Marinette talked more with Tikki and told Alya that she was in no hurry. When Alya told her some other girl may swoop in, Marinette nodded and said she realized.

The Adrien they all saw at school was looser, more free, and oozing with happiness. His smiles were honest and bright, and Marinette couldn’t help but be drawn in. He cracked terrible jokes, and whenever Nino cited him for them, Adrien responded that he needed to practice his dad jokes. He was still incredibly busy, and as far as Marinette knew, he hadn’t told anyone else. When Lila draped herself all over him one morning, Adrien gently removed her hand and told her he was not interested, would not be interested, and that if Lila actually knew the truth, that she wouldn’t be interested either. No one in the class was sure what to make of that, and Lila didn’t give up, but Adrien had set a standard and denied her access to his personal space.

On a Saturday morning, he had a shoot with Sophie and when she brought him home, he not only did not resist, but initiated. Although he felt bad about it, Plagg advised him that he was under no obligation to stay away from girls or not date because of Marinette. That one time with Sophie became a few more, and when Adrien told her about the baby, she was bothered, but not enough to stop having sex with him. 

However when he told Nino about hooking up with Sophie again, Nino was livid. “Bro! Bro! I told you to keep it in your pants!”

“I know what you said Nino, but it just happened so naturally. It’s not like I’m dating anyone.”

“But you could be soon. We talked about this, play it cool for now. I thought you were going to keep it chill and focus on getting ready to be a dad.”

“I was trying to, but my father’s been a pain as usual, and then Sophie and I had a photoshoot together, and we just . . . well, it happened”

_________________

When they walked into the midwife’s office, Adrien checked in and Louise took a seat in the waiting area. They were scheduled for a regular checkup and Adrien couldn’t wait to hear the baby’s heartbeat again. When he told the young nurse at the desk who they were, she looked up at him through her eyelashes and slowly said, “Welcome back, I’m _so_ happy to see you again. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if I can do _anything for you_.”

Adrien thanked her and sat down next to Louise.

She looked up from her magazine, “Even after all of this, you still don’t get it do you?”

Adrien turned his gaze her way, “hmmm, what don’t I get?”

She giggled. “Your effect on women of course.”

Adrien had gotten better no doubt, but he was still unaware of how women saw him. “My effect on women?”

“Yeah.” She looked into his eyes, he needed to hear this. No one else was seemingly willing to say it, and he was going to be a single father soon. A very hot, rich, popular, single dad that needed to know who was real and who wasn’t to protect their daughter. “Look, girls will do anything for you. Even disregarding your fame, you’re smart, funny, kind, generous, and handsome. And then you throw in your celebrity, and well, a baby will not stop them. I know we said we were just casual, but I fell for you, and I’m sure those other girls did too.”

“But they . .”

She placed her finger on his lips. “I know what they said. I know what I said. But you’re an easy guy to fall for Adrien. I’m telling you this so you can be careful. Girls won’t stop hitting on you or coming after you, and you’ll be a dad too. So for our daughter’s sake, please don’t bring random girls into her life, and don’t string girls along either. I know you have good intentions and are upfront, but most girls will agree just to be with you. That’s how I was at first.”

Adrien looked downwards. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I thought we agreed.”

Louise looked at him sadly and breathed deeply. “You have always been honest, and I appreciate that, and I’m sorry that I wasn’t. Our time together was amazing. I’m just asking you to be aware of what you do and say around our daughter. One day you’ll meet a girl you want to be with, and before you say anything, I know you’re willing to be with me. But that wouldn’t be fair to you. So please, promise me.”

Adrien took a moment to think it over.

“I’m not asking you to be a monk. Just watch who you’re with, who you bring home, and who spends time with our daughter. Please.”

“I . . ., I can do that. Look, I’ve really enjoyed our time together too, and I’m sorry it didn’t work out how you wanted. But I promise, I will do my best to watch how I treat women and who I bring around our daughter.”

Louise squeezed his hand as they were called into the back.

______________

Another week of group hangouts, whenever Adrien could find the time, and Marinette couldn’t deny that her feelings did not go away. She loved being around a happy Adrien, he was magnetic. And while she knew why he was feeling that way, she had no idea what was going on with Chat. He never told her why he changed, and she didn’t ask. The flirts and puns didn’t return, Chat arrived, did his job, and left, like he had more important things to do. What Ladybug didn’t know, was that Adrien still continued to run aimlessly through Paris to blow off steam. All the pressure was building up - fatherhood, his father’s demands, school, when to tell his father, where would he and the baby live. So many thoughts fighting for attention, sometimes running to the point of collapse was the only way for him to slow his mind and fall asleep.


	9. 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay, I hope to be back on track from now on. Thanks for reading and commenting.

A busy week of photoshoots with a few akuma fights mixed in, and Adrien was no closer to figuring out where to live with his baby, and what to even tell his father. Plagg, on a rare occasion, was the voice of reason.

“So father of the year, when are you planning on telling _your_ father the good news?”

Adrien sighed deeply and shook his head, “ I have no idea.”

“So you’ll just bring a baby home one day and hope he and your fake mom don’t notice anything?” He was hovering in Adrien’s face, resulting in a swat.

“Got any better ideas?”

“Of course, I have millennia of knowledge, and many of my kittens have had kittens of their own. But you must recognize this house is a black hole of love and no place to raise a baby.” He paused for another bite of beloved camembert, “at least a loved baby.”

Adrien stood and paced towards his desk, pulling his parenting book from its hiding place and holding it. “I . . .  I know. I just . . . don’t know what to do. Where would we live?”

“Look kid, you have plenty of money, so you can afford your own place. Yeah, you're young, but you can find a babysitter or some dumb sucker to watch the baby while you’re in school. There must be someplace you can leave drooling little humans.”

“Yeah, there are. I’ve looked at a few online.”

Plagg finished his latest wheel, “so how about this? Talk to ball-cap about it, and that nosy girl has little sisters right? She probably knows something.”

 

There really wasn’t much time before Louise would give birth. Whatever Adrien would do, he needed to figure out. Maybe Plagg was right. While Adrien never stopped hoping his father would change, bringing a baby into that house was not the right choice. Either his father would take it away, or hide it, or have Natalie leave it with someone that wouldn’t spill the horrible family secret. And there was no way his father would allow Adrien to stop modeling or his activities. Ugh. This would not be pretty. Forever optimism was exhausting, and Adrien had no more energy for it regarding his father. If he wanted to be the dad he dreamed about being, he’d have to do it on his own.

The next day saw a rare opportunity for Adrien to have lunch with his friends. Marinette seemed happy spending time with him, but he wasn’t sure if he should have this discussion with her present. So right before the last morning class, he briefed Nino.

“Bro.”

“Yeah brodel?”

Adrien’s quizzical look immediately followed.

“It’s a combo of bro and model dude,” Nino responded as if it was obvious.

Adrien giggled, alerting Marinette, who lovingly sighed involuntarily at the sound. This was followed by Alya giggling.

Adrien got very quiet, “I want to ask you and Alya about some baby related stuff, do you think I should invite Marinette too?”

Nino hummed, “Well, it’d be rude not to bro, and she knows what’s going on, so I think yes.”

Adrien nodded and turned towards the girls, “Alya, Marinette.”

Alya replied with a “yes, Sunshine” while Marinette lightly blushed.

“Would you two care to join me and my main dude for lunch? I’d like to get your opinion on some matters.”

When class ended, they all gathered their things, dropped them in their lockers and walked to a nearby cafe. Adrien and Nino were playfully pushing each other back and forth as they shared earbuds making Alya smile. 

“I know I keep saying this M, but your boy really is happy. Like we never saw before this whole baby thing happened.”

Marinette couldn’t help smiling as well. “I know, and I know I should be taking my time and thinking things over, maybe even be more disappointed, but he just pulls me in like I don’t have a say.”

Alya nudged her, “Cuz you never stopped loving him. And I admit, it’s like watching a puppy.”

This got a quick laugh out of Marinette, causing the boys to look back before turning forwards again after a wave from Alya. “What should I do Alya? You’re right, even when I was angry, I never stopped loving him, and I’m worried it’s worse than before. I just want to be there for him. And do whatever I can to keep that smile on his face.”

Alya stopped, touched Marinette’s arm and looked at her. “M. I can’t make that choice for you. And I promised him I wouldn’t interfere with you guys anymore. But no matter the situation, you guys would be great together. And yes, your fantasy isn’t so much a reality, but this little girl will need a mother, and you would be an incredible one. Now, or in the future.” Alya started walking again, forcing Marinette to keep up. “We weren’t supposed to be moms for years, so don’t feel bad about just being a friend and Aunt.” Marinette nodded. “It’s just that . . . you can still have that dream if you want. Sure, this baby won’t be yours biologically . . .”

Marinette breathed out deeply. “I know, I know, I can still be her mom if I want, assuming Adrien will still be interested . . .”

Alya interrupted her with a guffaw as they approached the cafe.

“Look,” Marinette gave Alya the zip it sign, “we’ll talk more later.”

Once they sat at a nice corner table away from most of the other patrons, Adrien cleared his throat. “I uh, I want your opinions on something.”

Nino wrapped his arm around Adrien’s shoulders and responded “of course bro” as the girls nodded in agreement. 

Adrien inhaled deeply. “So I’ve been thinking about what happens when the baby is born,” He looked up and got caught in Marinette’s eyes, “and . . . well, I’ve kinda realized that my father isn’t going to be very happy with this, and that he might, well he might try to do something that gets in the way.”

“Bro.” Adrien closed his mouth. “Yes, your father is an asshat. I’ve told you this many times bro. And yes, he will absolutely do something horrible if you tell him or he finds out. I wouldn’t be surprised if he took your little girl and sent her to some monastery in the country.”

Adrien glumly looked down at the table, but looked up when Marinette took his hand. He quickly looked up at her again and felt her support as she squeezed his hand and didn’t look away.

“But what can I do?”

Alya had remained silent, but jumped in. “Adrien, I don’t know what happens in your house like Nino does, but if there’s any chance you think your father would get between and your baby, then you need to do something about it. I’ve never seen you happier than you’ve been lately, and you can’t let your father get in the way of that. So yeah, you’re only 16, but I think you shouldn’t tell your father and move out. We’re not going anywhere, we’ll help you. Whether that means helping you finding a place to live, childcare, of teaching you how to change a diaper.” She smiled at this. “Which by the way, I can’t wait to see you try that or come to school after a night of dealing with a hungry, cranky baby.”

Marinette and Nino laughed and Adrien couldn’t stop the tears.


	10. 10

With Alya’s help, Adrien had found a local creche and registered. It was in the neighborhood and fairly close to school, but that still left the subject of where to live. And from his research and parenting book, it seemed like most new parents stayed home with their babies. So that meant time away from school with some kind of arrangement to be made with Principal Damocles. Another person to tell. Well, everyone was going to know soon anyway. For the question on where to live, who would rent to a 16 year old, even a famous rich one?

Plagg had also gone right past annoying into obnoxious with his constant reminders to Adrien to let his father know. But Adrien had so much on his plate, he just wanted to push that off as long as possible. Maybe call his father from the hospital after birth.

He had decided to tell Chloe though. She didn’t take it very well with “utterly ridiculous” on repeat, but told him she’d support him and be there for him even though he had made a huge mistake. After that tense conversation, he ended up spilling all his worries to Nino.

“ . . . and I don’t know where to live, or what to tell Father, or. . . “

Nino wrapped his arm around Adrien’s shoulder. “Bro. You can do this. You’ve put up with him for this long. The real problem I see is finding a place to live. Now, money isn’t the issue, so you need someone older to sign for the apartment.” Adrien hadn’t thought of that.

Adrien smiled, something positive. “That’s. . . , that’s actually a really good idea.”

“It is? Yeah, of course it is dude!“

Now Adrien just had to find the adult.

“I know you won’t be able to confront your hemorrhoid of a father, but I’ll be there with you if you want bro. Though I think it’d be best if you get everything set up and then just go to your new place with the baby. Once you get home, you tell him you’ve moved out. He’ll obviously lose it considering he’s an insane control freak, but you need to be strong.”

“I . .I . . “

“C’mon bro. This is for your daughter now.”

___________

At the next patrol, Ladybug decided she would ask Chat why he was behaving differently. Tikki had been pushing her, knowing Adrien was going through major life changes and stresses and covered it by declaring she was very worried about Chat and what was making him quiet and solemn.

As Chat was about to leap from their meeting spot, Ladybug reached out for him. “Chat.”

“Yes, Ladybug,” he responded as he turned his head towards her.

She looked down, this was not an easy conversation to start. “I . .., I’ve noticed that you seem a little down, or maybe distracted lately. Are you ok?”

Chat looked out at the city and huffed out a large exhale. He lightly shook his head, “I’m alright Ladybug. I just have a lot going on in my civilian life.”

She slowly approached him until she was right in front of him. “Maybe I can help if you tell me what’s going on, or at least listen.” She said this with a hopeful tone.

Chat then looked down at her. “Sorry, but I don’t think so. Can’t let you know too much,” followed by a shallow smile.

She touched his arm, “Maybe this time it’s alright. I can tell something is eating at you.”

He slowly closed his eyes. “I wanted to share more from the beginning, really work together and be partners, but you wanted to keep things ‘professional.’ While I disagreed, I think that right now, that’s what we need. We’re still fighting and winning, and one day we’ll beat Hawkmoth. But I can’t let you in my life right now.”

“I see . .. .”

“I am sorry Ladybug, but you wanted these boundaries for a good reason, and I have too much to lose now. I’ll see you next time.” And he was gone.

___________

Upon detransforming in his room, Adrien sat on his couch with his head between his knees. “I was a jerk Plagg.”

Before flying to his camembert stash, Plagg replied, “Yep.”

“Since the beginning I wanted a closer relationship with her, I wanted to really know her. But she always wanted to keep the masks as a wall between us. And now, now I think that’s probably best. Soon, I won’t be able to make every fight, she’ll have to rely on the others. The ones she got to choose.” He was shaking his head slowly with tears creeping down his face. “I don’t want to hurt her Plagg, all I’ve ever wanted was to protect her.”

Plagg sat on Adrien’s shoulder deliberately chewing one piece at a time. “Kid. You are under an abnormal amount of pressure. Your normal life is full of this cold and empty house, a tight schedule and no time to be a kid. And with this baby coming, you’ll never have a chance to be a kid. I know that’s not what’s truly bothering you, but all of it is too much. You’re allowed to be scared kid.”

As Adrien’s tears grew faster, he sniffled and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “She probably hates me. And when I stop showing up she’ll think I don’t care anymore. And Fu will probably take you away .. “

Plagg made his way to Adrien’s nose. “No. Look kid, I told you, I’m not going anywhere and I don’t care what Fu thinks or tries. And he won’t be guardian forever anyway. You’re stuck with me, got it?” He emphasized this last point with a poke to Adrien’s nose. “What you need is to work on your plan for life as Adrien. That is taking precedence now. Ball cap actually had a good idea - get an adult to sign for an apartment while you pay for it. And because I’m not just the god of destruction but generosity, I think you should ask mommy’s parents.”

“Louise’s parents?”

“Yeah kid, you’d think they’d want their grandkid to have a place to live.” Even with his usual sarcasm, Plagg couldn’t hide how much he loved Adrien, and Adrien understood as he lightly scratched behind Plagg’s ears.

____________

“I tried Tikki.” Marinette’s voice was solemn and quiet.

Tikki flittered around Marinette’s head, obviously worried and anxious. “I know you did, and you can’t make him tell you, but I’m worried Marinette. I don’t want him getting akumatized.”

Marinette’s eyes opened in shock. “I didn’t even think of that. Do you think that could happen? And could I fight him, would he unleash cataclysm on Paris, what if I couldn’t stop him? I need him Tikki.” She collapsed on her chaise mumbling to herself.

Tikki touched Marinette’s cheek, “it’s ok Marinette. Yes, it could happen, but we have to hope it won’t. Be there for him in case something changes and he wants to share. Though I’m slightly impressed he didn’t, whatever is going on has significantly changed his views on your identities.”

___________

The due date was fast approaching. Adrien found a fathering class and was able to practice diapering a doll and learn some basics about bottle feeding and how to use a carseat. It took up most of a weekend that was covered by a major school project he had to work on at a friend’s house. So he had some books, a creche for when he went back to school, and some basic knowledge of how to keep his daughter alive. Sharing his fears with Nino helped as his bro was a great support and encouraged him to plan for baby-day and all that came with it.

Louise’s parents were mostly understanding. With Louise’s help, she and Adrien convinced them to sign for an apartment near the creche and Adrien’s school that Adrien would pay for. Louise’s parents respected Louise’s wish to not play an active role in the baby’s life, but Adrien promised them they could see the baby if they wanted. He was never going to deny his child a family.

The apartment had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Louise’s mom reminded Adrien he’d need a bathtub, so while his master bath had a walk-in shower, the guest bath had a full tub. The kitchen was nice, though Adrien was unsure how much it’d be used, and there was space for toys and a play area in what would have been the dining room.

And so he was almost ready. Having money wasn’t the issue, having access to it was. His father was on his accounts and he wasn’t old enough yet to remove his father or use his trust fund which became available at 21. It was actually Chloe, bitter and jealous, but helpful, that suggested he just went all in and moved all his funds to another account with Louise’s parents if an adult was needed, or basically blackmail his father. This would entail threatening to never work for Gabriel again if his father didn’t give over full financial control. Adrien preferred the non-confrontational approach.


	11. 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have edited the previous chapter to have Nino’s parents sign for the apartment and bank account. As a reader pointed out, this is healthier than having that link to Louise’s parents. Also, the reference to sex is more direct in this chapter.

“Plagg!” Adrien was scared, Plagg could see that easily. When Plagg disappeared, all Adrien could think about was Plagg’s promise to never leave.  
Plagg hovered directly in front of Adrien’s eyes. “I’m sorry kid. I know I promised you, but Fu was scared and I wasn’t prepared. It won’t happen again. I’ll handle it.”  
Adrien brushed a few tears from his eyes, “how?”  
“A simple conversation with Fu and Wayzz should be enough. And if not, then you stop wearing the ring when you’re sleeping, and keep it on you elsewhere.”  
“I can do that?”  
“Of course, put it on a chain, on a toe, doesn’t matter. What does matter is that Wayzz won’t know.” Plagg’s expression changed as if a lightbulb went on above his head. “I’ve got it. Wear a fake one. Wayzz will take it, if he ever has the guts to try again after I see him that is. Which he won’t, he knows better.”  
That night Plagg left for Fu’s and when he returned, he simply told Adrien Fu and Wayzz would not try taking the ring again, now or in the future. Adrien felt it best to not inquire about Plagg’s exact actions. 

Now that the logistics were in place and a bag packed, Adrien just had time to worry. He paced during most lunches, with Nino and Marinette soothing his nerves with light touches and trying to change the subject. He was in regular contact with Louise and while getting tea, she dropped a surprise request on him.  
“Adrien.” He looked at her after turning his gaze from the window. “I realize we’re not together, but I’ve been feeling hormonal lately and uh . . . . , uh, I could use some help.”  
Adrien nodded and grabbed her hand on the table. “Of course, anything.”  
“Well . . . . what do you think of spending the night with me, and . . . maybe morning too?” She asked shyly, even with all their experiences together, she was nervous. He slightly blushed, and thought of Nino’s strong words to stay away from girls for now. But this was different he told himself. It was for the mother of his child. And two days later, Adrien did his best to destress Louise (and himself), leaving her content.

That Monday, Aurore approached Adrien before class, and directly asked to spend some time together. Adrien didn’t notice Marinette and Alya watching, Alya squeezing Marinette’s shoulder the whole time. They couldn’t hear Aurore and Adrien, but he seemed like he was denying her in his sweet way. Aurore looked a bit perturbed, but nodded as if she understood and walked into school.  
“Girl. Just talk to him. I can feel your anxiety coming out in waves.”  
Marinette let out a huff, clenched her fists and walked with purpose towards Adrien. They were past the point of letting miscommunication or assumptions get in the way. “Adrien?”  
He turned around and flashed her a real smile. “Morning, Marinette!”  
“I uh, I just saw you and Aurore.” While yes, they were being honest with each other and talking, she couldn’t ask without looking at her shoes.  
Adrien scratched the back of his neck, “yeah, you saw that, huh?” Marinette nodded. “I told her I wasn’t interested and that I was going through a big life change.”  
Marinette’s confidence returned, “that’s one way to put it,” she responded in a teasing manner.  
Adrien laughed, a free, beautiful laugh. He was about to grab her hand before remembering they weren’t together and he didn’t want to pressure her. “Oh, I’m telling Damocles today. Figure they’ll give me some kind of homework packet or way to continue classes online. Not that I expect to have lots of time, but I’d rather not get too far behind if I can help it. Or maybe I can make up time during the summer or something . . “  
Marinette reached out for him. “You’re the smartest one in class Adrien. However you set it up, I know you won’t fall behind. And I'll help you if you like!” She finished in a nervous shout as her volume ramped up. After taking a breath, she added, “Want me to go with you? For support?”  
Adrien beamed at her. With things clearer between them, he could fully appreciate how much she cared about him, having discussed her previous odd behavior with Plagg and being convinced she understood how it seemed. With Plagg reminding him of his treatment of Ladybug being possessive at times as well. Adrien was able to put that behind him, accept that Marinette really cared for him, and that he had to let Ladybug go and would just treat her as a colleague, though one that consistently kept him in the dark.

The earlier conversation with Marinette was difficult, but they had agreed to be completely open with each other, minus the superhero part of course. It started when Adrien asked why she told him she wasn’t interested before. Marinette came clean about the scarf, stealing his phone, mistreating Kagami, and the rest. She told him that she lied when she denied liking him because she was scared. She was overridden with guilt, but knew this all had to be said. She explained that she was young, with a intense crush and didn’t know how to handle it. He responded that he doesn’t know if he would have rejected her or not, but that he always wanted to be her friend and was bothered that she acted differently around everyone else and that no one would explain why. He apologized for always saying she was only a friend, but he thought that’s all she wanted and that he valued friends probably more than anyone else. Marinette was embarrassed and apologetic about her behavior, but Adrien told her he forgave her and thanked her for the scarf, but not without being clear that he needed her to not treat him like he couldn’t make his own choices and that he was entitled to his wants and feelings. She agreed, and he promised to not hide anything, not that there was anything left.

The discussion after morning classes with Principal Damocles went as well as it could. And when Damocles looked at Marinette when Adrien told him about the baby, Marinette grew flustered and explained that she was only there as support and not the mom. Principal Damocles looked at her for a beat longer before turning back to Adrien where they worked out a way for Adrien to take classes at a slower pace online so that he could return to class at the start of a term and not be behind.

Three days after picking up the keys to his new apartment, Adrien’s phone rang at 1 am. When he saw Louise’s name, he immediately answered.  
“It’s time.”  
Adrien froze briefly before Plagg smacked him. Louise asked if he was still there before he finally responded. “I’ll meet you at the hospital. I’m leaving now.”  
“This is it, eh kid?”  
Adrien breathed deeply, changed into sweats, grabbed his overnight bag, and transformed. He waited anxiously by the entrance to the emergency department and ran to the car when Louise’s parents rolled up. He opened the door and guided Louise in, telling the nurse on duty that she was in labor. A wheelchair was brought out and they were taken to the birthing wing and a private room. Chloe had earlier forced hospital staff to keep it quiet and threatened them in her protective way - she told Adrien no details but not to worry.

Once Louise was on the bed, the midwife checked her progress, telling her and Adrien that they had a bit of time before full-on active labor. Adrien squeezed her hand, and then stepped away to call Nino. He groggily answered, not understanding what Adrien was saying first. But when he did, Adrien had to pull the phone away from his ear. Nino called Alya and Chloe, and Alya called Marinette. She needed three calls before Marinette picked up after getting woken by Tikki. Marinette was reluctant to come, but Alya convinced her it would mean a lot to Adrien.  
By the time his friends arrived, Adrien was helping Louise with her breathing. She had gotten an epidural and was in active labor. One of the nurses was able to let Adrien know his friends had arrived and he quickly ran out to greet them. They sat on one side of the waiting room with Louise’s parents on the other. Nino was still in his pajamas, reclining back in a chair with Alya leaning her head against his shoulder. While she was wearing what could be deemed a sweatshirt and joggers, Chloe looked as though the outfit had been prepared and ready, even her hair and makeup looked flawless. Lastly, Adrien spotted Marinette. She was looking out a window but turned towards him when she noticed his arrival in the reflection. She briskly approached him and wrapped her arms around him. Adrien melted into the embrace.  
“How are you? Is there anything I can do?”  
He pulled back slightly and shook his head. “Just a matter of time now. The midwife said it shouldn’t be too long. I should get back in there, but wanted to say hi.”  
Marinette smiled at him and let him go. He then flicked Nino’s ear, waking him up.  
“Bro!” Nino jumped up and hugged Adrien, lifting him off the ground.  
Adrien laughed and Alya lightly slapped Nino’s back. “Let him down numbskull.”  
When Nino released him, he hugged Alya, and then Chloe. “Thanks for coming, really. I have to go back in, but you all being here means the world to me.”  
When Adrien turned back towards the room, Alya winked and nudged Marinette. Before he could go back to Louise, Chloe slipped him a new phone. “I put the numbers you want in here.”  
Adrien smiled, “Thanks Chlo.”

Once Adrien was back by Louise’s side, labor soon picked up and as he held her hand throughout, he was able to watch his daughter being born. Once delivery was complete, Adrien kissed Louise’s forehead and she gingerly smiled back at him. After she was cleaned, the midwife handed the baby to Louise. She held her gently as the midwife guided her into a skin-on-skin position on Louise’s chest. Adrien stared, mouth agape. After a few moments, Louise handed their baby over to Adrien. And when the midwife reminded her how important skin-to-skin contact was, Louise piped up that Adrien would be the caregiver. The midwife looked at them questionably, but said nothing. When Adrien first held his daughter, he cried. Before he could react, Louise reached up and wiped his tears.  
“Your daughter is healthy and everything looks great. Do you have a name?”  
Adrien answered immediately without looking up from his daughter’s eyes and reverently whispered, “Clemence Maryse Agreste.”

After a few moments, Louise’s parents were brought in. They held Clemence and cooed at her, with Adrien reminding them they would have opportunities to be in her life. They thanked him, and when they left, his friends came in with Alya running in ahead of the others.  
“Gimme!”  
“Babe! Give my bro some space!”  
Alya shook her head and recognized the need for patience when Marinette touched her shoulder. They all crowded around Adrien and took close looks at Clemence.  
As Nino wrapped his arm around Adrien’s shoulders, he asked about the name.  
“Clemence Maryse Agreste.” Adrien kissed her after saying her name for only the second time.  
“She’s beautiful Adrien, and that’s a lovely name.” Marinette spoke up and Adrien finally looked away from his daughter and smiled at Marinette.  
After several more minutes, Adrien was ready to let Clemence go, if only briefly. “Would you guys like to hold her?” He turned first to Nino. He tipped his cap up while wiping his brow. They had all washed and scrubbed their hands to be prepared. Nino nodded.  
Adrien gently handed Clemence over and Nino had his hands ready to support her neck. Once he held her, he started making faces at her, though Alya was the one to react and giggled. Next was Alya and she cooed and made baby noises as she got up close to Clemence. She turned to Chloe who had an almost disgusted look on her face, but smoothed her expression and accepted Clemence. When Clemence made a noise like she was farting, Chloe almost pushed her away, but Adrien was there to take over. He then turned to Marinette. He couldn’t know the storm in Marinette’s brain, and how her thoughts were running rampant on if this tiny girl would end up looking at Marinette like a mother. No she thought, don’t go there, you’re not even dating. She said nothing but stared in Clemence’s eyes and communicated silently with her. Clemence stared back and Marinette smiled. 

Once his friends left, the nurses helped feed Clemence with a bottle and then Adrien took off his shirt and started taking turns walking around the room and lying down with Clemence pressed against his chest. And when word got out that Adrien Agreste was walking around without a shirt, a seemingly endless parade of young female nurses seemed very interested in Clemence’s welfare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t mean to minimize Louise’s role, just that my focus is on Adrien. Also, I’m apparently incapable of not bringing up all the miscommunication between Marinette and Adrien. Adrien at this point needs complete honesty and has no time for assumptions and questions. Clemence comes first, so I think if people can’t or won’t be straight with him, then he wouldn’t give them his attention.


End file.
